This distinctly Southern pickling recipe turns your extra cucumbers into tangy, sweet and addictive pickles! Deliciously perfect on burgers, nestled in a sandwich or enjoyed right from the jar. Lets get into it.
What you Need to Make Classic Bread and Butter Pickles:
These tangy and sweet delights are a true taste of the South, perfect for savorin’ on sandwiches or sharin’ at gatherings. It’s a fairly easy pickling recipe, so gather your ingredients and let’s bring some magic to the kitchen!
Classic Bread-and-Butter Pickles Ingredients
- thinly sliced cucumbers
- medium onion
- kosher or pickling salt
- white vinegar
- apple cider vinegar
- granulated sugar
- mustard seeds
- celery seeds
- turmeric
- black peppercorns
How to Make Bread and Butter Pickles
As for all good cucumber pickling recipes, we will use a Salt-brine method to make these. Expect this to take a few hours total. The yummy pickles will be ready to eat after stored for a couple weeks.
Its a straight-forward process, even if you’re a beginner pickler, and the results are just yum! Note: I’ve chosen to use white onion here, but small pearl onions are great too for something a tad different!
- Prepare the Cucumbers and Onions:
- Wash the cucumbers thoroughly and slice them thinly.
- Thinly slice the onion. (halve if using pearl onions)
- Create the Salt Brine:
- In a large bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers, sliced onion, and kosher salt.
- Toss the cucumbers and onions to ensure they’re coated with the salt.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit for about 2 hours. The salt will draw out excess water from the cucumbers.
- Rinse and Drain:
- After the cucumbers have rested in the salt, rinse them in colander under cold running water.
- Leave the cucumbers and onion to drain for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a kitchen towel (or two), pressing gently to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
- Prepare the Pickling Brine:
- In a large saucepan, combine white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and peppercorns.
- Bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring til the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from heat and allow the brine to cool while you pack your jars.
- Pack the Jars:
- Pack your cucumber and onion mixture tightly into sterilized canning jars.
- Make sure to leave about a 1/2 inch of space at the top.
- Add the Pickling Brine:
- Carefully pour the pickling brine over the cucumbers and onions, ensuring they are completely covered. Tip: Use a funnel or pour out of a large measuring cup to not make a mess!
- Seal the Jars:
- Remove air bubbles by gently tapping the jars on the counter.
- Wipe the jar rims clean and place sterilized lids on the jars.
- Seal the jars with metal bands, tightening them just until finger tight.
- Process the Jars:
- Process the filled jars in a boiling water bath canner for about 10 minutes to ensure proper sealing.
- Remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a clean towel or cooling rack.
- Store and Enjoy:
- Once cooled, check the seals on the jars to ensure they’re properly sealed. The lids should be slightly concave.
- Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place for about 2-4 weeks to allow the flavors to develop.
- Once opened, store the pickles in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Why You’ll Love Classic Bread and Butter Pickles
- Sweetness and Tanginess: These classic bread and butter pickles capture the essence of Southern flavors, perfect sweet and tangy.
- Crunchy Perfection: Using the salt brine method, excess moisture is drawn out of the cucumbers, giving perfectly crispy and crunchy pickles.
- Versatile Delight: Tucked into sandwiches, added to burgers, or enjoyed as a standalone snack, these pickles are so, so good.
- Customizable Creation: Making your own pickles at home allows you to tailor the level of sweetness and spiciness to your personal taste preferences. Try making a variation batch each day/week for a few tries to find your perfect one!
Classic Bread and Butter Pickles
These tangy and sweet delights are a true taste of the South, perfect for savorin' on sandwiches or sharin' at gatherings.
Servings: 50
Ingredients
- 10 cups cucumber, sliced
- 2 white onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 2 cups white vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoon celery seeds
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
Instructions
Prepare the Cucumbers and Onions:
- Wash the cucumbers thoroughly and slice them thinly.
- Thinly slice the onion. (halve if using pearl onions)
Create the Salt Brine:
- In a large bowl, combine the sliced cucumbers, sliced onion, and kosher salt.
- Toss the cucumbers and onions to ensure they’re coated with the salt.
- Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let it sit for about 2 hours. The salt will draw out excess water from the cucumbers.
Rinse and Drain:
- After the cucumbers have rested in the salt, rinse them in colander under cold running water.
- Leave the cucumbers and onion to drain for a few minutes.
- Transfer to a kitchen towel (or two), pressing gently to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
Prepare the Pickling Brine:
- In a large saucepan, combine white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, turmeric, and peppercorns.
- Bring to a simmer on medium heat, stirring til the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from heat and allow the brine to cool while you pack your jars.
Pack the Jars:
- Pack your cucumber and onion mixture tightly into sterilized canning jars.
- Make sure to leave about a 1/2 inch of space at the top.
Add the Pickling Brine:
- Carefully pour the pickling brine over the cucumbers and onions, ensuring they are completely covered. Tip: Use a funnel or pour out of a large measuring cup to not make a mess!
Seal the Jars:
- Remove air bubbles by gently tapping the jars on the counter.
- Wipe the jar rims clean and place sterilized lids on the jars.
- Seal the jars with metal bands, tightening them just until finger tight.
Process the Jars:
- Process the filled jars in a boiling water bath canner for about 10 minutes to ensure proper sealing.
- Remove the jars from the canner and let them cool on a clean towel or cooling rack.
Store and Enjoy:
- Once cooled, check the seals on the jars to ensure they’re properly sealed. The lids should be slightly concave.
- Store the sealed jars in a cool, dark place for about 2-4 weeks to allow the flavors to develop.
- Once opened, store the pickles in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 34kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 0.3gFat: 0.3gSaturated Fat: 0.02gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1133mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 0.3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 9mgIron: 0.2mg
Tried our recipe?We would love to know how it was!
